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Chelsea Wasteful as Second-Tier Middlesbrough Gains 1-0 First-Leg Advantage in League Cup Semifinal 

Chelsea's Argentinian head coach Mauricio Pochettino during the English League Cup first-leg semifinal football match between Middlesbrough and Chelsea at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough, northeast England on January 9, 2024. (AFP)
Chelsea's Argentinian head coach Mauricio Pochettino during the English League Cup first-leg semifinal football match between Middlesbrough and Chelsea at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough, northeast England on January 9, 2024. (AFP)
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Chelsea Wasteful as Second-Tier Middlesbrough Gains 1-0 First-Leg Advantage in League Cup Semifinal 

Chelsea's Argentinian head coach Mauricio Pochettino during the English League Cup first-leg semifinal football match between Middlesbrough and Chelsea at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough, northeast England on January 9, 2024. (AFP)
Chelsea's Argentinian head coach Mauricio Pochettino during the English League Cup first-leg semifinal football match between Middlesbrough and Chelsea at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough, northeast England on January 9, 2024. (AFP)

Cole Palmer missed from close range and Chelsea lost 1-0 to second-tier Middlesbrough in the first leg of their League Cup semifinal on Tuesday.

Hayden Hackney scored in the 37th minute and Middlesbrough held on at Riverside Stadium against its Premier League opponent.

Mauricio Pochettino’s expensively assembled team has been eyeing cup trophies to make up for a disappointing Premier League campaign. They’ll have work to do in the second leg at Stamford Bridge on Jan. 23.

“We had too many chances to score where we didn’t score. That is football,” Pochettino told Sky Sports. “We have another 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge, and I think we need to be positive.”

Middlesbrough hasn’t been this far in the League Cup since winning the competition in 2004.

Hackney scored after sprinting past midfielder Moises Caicedo — a big-money signing last summer — inside the box and poking Isaiah Jones’ low cross past goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic into the net.

“It was amazing. Great ball. I just got on the end of it,” the 21-year-old Hackney said. “We said before the game — try to keep it tight and catch them on the counter.”

Palmer, who shot wide earlier in the first half, just needed a tap in to equalize after Middlesbrough goalkeeper Tom Glover misplayed Enzo Fernandez's shot in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.

In what should have been a simple catch, the ball instead bounced off Glover's chest directly to Palmer, who tried to volley it in from about 5 yards out. He got under it, however, and his left-footed effort sailed over the crossbar.

The 21-year-old Palmer, who joined Chelsea from Manchester City for around $52 million in the offseason, is Chelsea’s co-leading scorer this season with eight goals.

Middlesbrough is 12th in the Championship and lost to Aston Villa 1-0 on Saturday in the FA Cup third round.

“To beat a team of the quality of Chelsea, in any circumstances for us, is unbelievable,” said Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick, the former Manchester United star. “The lads were just exceptional. It was an incredible night.”

Liverpool hosts Fulham on Wednesday in the other League Cup semifinal first leg.

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'Not Very Smart': Verstappen Slams Red Bull Stable-mate after Clash

Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen sits in his car during the second practice session of the Mexico City Formula One Grand Prix. CARL DE SOUZA / AFP
Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen sits in his car during the second practice session of the Mexico City Formula One Grand Prix. CARL DE SOUZA / AFP
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'Not Very Smart': Verstappen Slams Red Bull Stable-mate after Clash

Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen sits in his car during the second practice session of the Mexico City Formula One Grand Prix. CARL DE SOUZA / AFP
Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen sits in his car during the second practice session of the Mexico City Formula One Grand Prix. CARL DE SOUZA / AFP

Max Verstappen slammed his Red Bull stable-mate Liam Lawson as "not very smart" after a Friday practice crash that saw both hit with one-place grid penalties for the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc topped the times ahead of world champion Lando Norris of McLaren in an eventful session that saw Kimi Antonelli wind up fourth as he closes in on the title, said AFP.

Red Bulls' four-time champion Verstappen was embroiled in an incident that left him with damaged bodywork, tangling with Racing Bulls' Lawson in a feisty fight for track position going into the Foro Sol section.

Verstappen said New Zealand's Lawson caused the trouble near turn 12, their minor collision spewing debris over the circuit and causing the session to be red-flagged for the track to be cleared.

"It was not unlucky," said the Dutchman. "It was not very smart behavior by him in what he was trying to do there. But it is not going to change my weekend."

Both drivers were summoned by the stewards, who found they behaved in a manner that was "unacceptable" and handed out the penalty.

"I think it is just not very smart behavior when you are fighting for your seat," Verstappen said, a reference to Lawson's admission this week that he does not know if he will retain his place next season with Racing Bulls, despite an impressive season with the sister team to Red Bull.

Racing Bulls may move to promote Red Bull junior driver Nikola Tsolov, who on Friday became the first Bulgarian driver to take part in an official practice session at a Grand Prix when he drove in FP1.

Lawson has impressed throughout the year and outperformed team-mate rookie Arvid Lindblad comprehensively.

On Thursday he told reporters that finding consistency in formula one is hard, but he believed he has "maximized a lot this year.

"I'm not really sure what more is expected, but I'm not really sitting here thinking too much about the whole seat selection thing.

"I overthought things last year so I'm trying a different mindset this year to score as many points as I can."

Lawson is ninth in the drivers' championship with 77 points while teammate Lindblad is 11th on 38.

His performances have helped lift Racing Bulls to fifth in the constructors' title race behind the big four of Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren.

He ended up ninth in Friday FP2 while Verstappen was fifth behind the Mercedes of George Russell and 20-year-old Italian Antonelli -- who is poised to become the sport's youngest champion on Sunday if he finishes in the top nine.

Verstappen, a five-time winner in Mexico, admitted: "It could have gone better, but we're not too far off and just have some fine tuning to do. No one has much grip here but it is the same for us all and nothing new."

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Marc Marquez on Front Row at Malaysian MotoGP as Martin Ruled Out

Spanish MotoGP rider Marc Marquez reacts after coming second place in the qualifying session. MOHD RASFAN / AFP
Spanish MotoGP rider Marc Marquez reacts after coming second place in the qualifying session. MOHD RASFAN / AFP
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Marc Marquez on Front Row at Malaysian MotoGP as Martin Ruled Out

Spanish MotoGP rider Marc Marquez reacts after coming second place in the qualifying session. MOHD RASFAN / AFP
Spanish MotoGP rider Marc Marquez reacts after coming second place in the qualifying session. MOHD RASFAN / AFP

Marc Marquez capitalized on championship rival Jorge Martin's injury withdrawal to sit on the front row for the Malaysian MotoGP as his brother Alex Marquez took pole position on Saturday.

Ducati-Gresini rider Alex clocked the fastest qualifying time of 1min 56.493sec, which was 0.070sec faster than older brother Marc, said AFP.

Pedro Acosta came in third, followed by Japan's Ai Ogura and Italian Marco Bezzecchi.

Ducati's Marc Marquez has a golden opportunity to increase his 10-point championship advantage over Martin after putting himself on the front row for Saturday's sprint and Sunday's main race.

His fellow Spaniard Martin arrived in Malaysia with a broken wrist and came through unscathed in Friday's first practice session at Sepang.

But the Aprilia rider then only managed a limited number of laps in the afternoon and on Saturday morning.

He did not come out for qualifying.

Aprilia Racing team manager Paolo Bonora said the 2024 champion could not exert any force into his bike in the braking areas and will now return to Spain to assess his condition ahead of next week's Qatar GP.

There are only three race weekends left after Malaysia.

Sports

Leylah Fernandez Advances to Tokyo WTA Final with Win over Rakhimova

Canada's Leylah Fernandez celebrates her victory against Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova in their semifinal match at the WTA Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo on October 31, 2026. (AFP)
Canada's Leylah Fernandez celebrates her victory against Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova in their semifinal match at the WTA Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo on October 31, 2026. (AFP)
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Leylah Fernandez Advances to Tokyo WTA Final with Win over Rakhimova

Canada's Leylah Fernandez celebrates her victory against Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova in their semifinal match at the WTA Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo on October 31, 2026. (AFP)
Canada's Leylah Fernandez celebrates her victory against Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova in their semifinal match at the WTA Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo on October 31, 2026. (AFP)

Leylah Fernandez has advanced to her third WTA final of the year, with a chance to win her second tournament.

The Canadian beat Kamilla Rakhimova 7-5, 6-3 Saturday in the semifinals of the WTA's Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament. In Sunday's final, Fernandez will play third-seeded Diana Shnaider, who beat teenager Mia Pohankova in the second semifinal Saturday 6-4, 7-6 (7).

Fernandez beat Talia Gibson in straight sets to win the Singapore Open in September. She lost to Elena Rybakina in straight sets in the Ningbo Open final last week.

Fernandez advanced to the semifinals when top-ranked Rybakina withdrew from their quarterfinal on Friday, handing the Canadian a walkover.

Rybakina guaranteed herself the year-end No. 1 ranking with her second-round victory on Thursday.